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Our Organisation
We conduct impactful research and lead the fight in controlling cancer
A word from our Chairman TOH PUAN DR. AISHAH ONG
“Cancer is a disease that increasingly touches our lives. One in four Malaysians may develop cancer by the age of 70. Cancer Research Malaysia conducts patient-oriented research and education and is working towards a world that is free from the fear of cancer.

We have grown from a 700-square-feet laboratory with six scientists to a team of 40 dedicated scientists in an 8000-square-feet laboratory space. We have conducted research that can make a difference in a patient’s life, in areas that we know we can improve clinical practise. We focus on cancers common in our part of the world, focusing on Asian genetics and how it impacts cancer screening and treatment. Over the years, our scientists have achieved advances in the understanding of cancers and won many awards for our work. We now work closely with some of the top scientists and doctors in the world in finding new ways to beat cancer.
In our familial breast and ovarian cancer research programme, we now know more about the genes that cause some women to be more likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer, and we use this information to target screening and prevention to women who need it most. In our oral and nasopharyngeal cancer programme, we have registered three patents and are developing new therapies for these cancers. Finally, in our drug repurposing programme, we are developing more effective cures with fewer side effects. All this research, we hope, will one day lead to better ways to cure cancer.

We also recognise that laboratory-based research gives us only half the picture, and we can improve survival rates by increasing public understanding of cancer screening and treatment, and by removing the barriers that patients face in accessing services. Through our patient navigation programme, we are working on how to improve access to life saving treatments. Through our cancer genetics mainstreaming programme, we are working on how to improve access to genetics so that this can aid on the best treatments.

Our logo, “Hope lives here”, captures our entire essence of being – hope lives in cancer research, and it is your hope that’s been placed in us that’s helping us to achieve this.”